February 1, 2005

Black Cultural Center to present original love poetry readings

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Haraka Writers will be speaking the language of love during a performance of original love poems in honor of Valentine's Day at Purdue University's Black Cultural Center.

The Feb. 11 event, which is free and open to the public, begins at 7 p.m.

"The many facets of love will be explored in an honest and innovative way," said Candice Crowder, a student coordinator of Haraka Writers who is a senior majoring in management from Houston. "We will use various visual, musical and lyrical styles to create the ambiance of love."

BCC artist-in-residence Khari Bowden coordinated the event. Bowden has worked with Haraka Writers for three semesters. He has worked with the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, a consortium of musicians in Chicago that promotes and develops modern African-American music. He has been featured in the Illinois Arts Council and performed in the Sons d'hiver Festival in Paris.

Haraka Writers is a collective of writers committed to literary expression of the black experience. This Black Cultural Center ensemble began under the name Creative Writers Workshop in 1973. Five years later the name was changed to Haraka, a Swahili word meaning "expression."

Established at Purdue in 1969, the Black Cultural Center is nationally recognized and acknowledged by the Association of Black Culture Centers as one of the best centers of its kind.

Writer: Maggie Morris, (765) 494-2432, maggiemorris@purdue.edu

Sources: Renee Thomas, BCC director, (765) 494-3091, rathomas@purdue.edu

Candice Crowder, (765) 532-7069, ccrowder@purdue.edu

Donte N. Hilliard, BCC, (765) 494-3095, dhilliard@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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